


Jyn Between Worlds

by jccapron



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: A world between worlds, Battle of Scarif, Death Star, Gen, Yavin 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-07-02 23:04:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 15,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15806349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jccapron/pseuds/jccapron
Summary: Set between Rebels Season 4 and Rogue One, Jyn Between Worlds is an emotional story about the friendship between Jyn Erso and Hera Syndulla.





	1. Chapter 1

Jyn was used to not having a home. At this point, she’d lost track of how many times she had hopped worlds the past few years. That is, ever since Saw Gerrera, the man who took her in after her mother was killed and her father was taken away by the Empire, had abandoned her after one of their missions had went wrong.

“Copy that. Coming out of hyperspace,” Jyn heard the pilot of the refugee starfreighter say to her co-pilot in the cockpit. The blue hyperspace light outside the windows turned into an image of a dull gray world. It was Jelucan, a cold planet with mountains and snow and it would be Jyn’s new home. Well, home for at least a few months, maybe a year if she was lucky.

Jelucan would be no different than any other system she’d been on previously. No matter where she was, her existence was defined by surviving and staying out of the Empire’s sights. She wasn't ignorant enough to believe she could completely hide from the Empire. She just couldn't let the Empire discover her true identity: Jyn Erso. Daughter of Lyra Erso. Daughter of Galen Erso, known Imperial scientist and weapons collaborator. Former accomplice of Saw Gerrera, the leader of a terrorist cadre that was consistently a thorn in the side of both the Empire and the Rebel Alliance.

The freighter landed in the spaceport of the main city and Jyn stepped down the loading ramp with the rest of the passengers. It was summer time here but the air was still bitterly cold. Jyn hated the cold, but her green jacket and brown vest kept her somewhat warm for the time being.

She scanned the main hanger and absorbed as many details as she could. Judging by the number of Imperial officers and stormtroopers, the Empire definitely had a strong presence here, but she'd seen worse, so it would have to do for now. Jyn proceeded to approach the identification checkpoint that stood between her and the rest of the planet outside the spaceport.

"Alright, let’s see some identification," said a stormtrooper to her as she pulled out her identification. Jyn was a master at forging all kinds of official documents. Manifests, clearance codes, even her own scandoc.

"Liana Hallik," the stormtrooper read as he swiped her scandoc. The terminal's light turned green and her forged identification had passed once again. "Alright, permission to proceed. Next," said the stormtrooper unenthusiastically as he pushed Jyn along.

Jyn walked out of the spaceport and into the city. It was quaint, normal, complacent, and unordinary. The perfect place for Jyn to take refuge temporarily and avoid the conflict between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. The conflict she wanted no part of after losing everything and everyone she loved at the expense of it.

She worked her way down the street, trying to mitigate eye contact with anyone, and saw a sign for a cantina. All she wanted right now was a drink to numb the pain of her existence. Drinks were always the first priority when arriving to a new planet. She’d worry about finding work tomorrow.

 Jyn walked down the narrow flight of steps into the cantina. It was dimly lit with a bar towards the back and tables and booths scattered throughout the place. As was accustomed on every planet she'd visited in the past few years, a couple monitors broadcasted Imperial propaganda at the Empire's demands. This time, the treachery of a recent attack on the Empire by a group of Rebels on Lothal was being reported. Jyn didn’t much less care about any of that though.

Jyn pulled a stool up to the bar, ordered a drink, and sulked in her misery. She wasn't alive. She just happened to be breathing.

“That’ll be twenty credits," the bartender informed her as he handed her the drink she ordered.

Jyn reached into her pockets, and pulled a few of credits out. She didn’t have much, maybe enough to get by for a few days, and she probably shouldn't have been wasting her credits on drinks. But she didn’t care about that right now. She didn’t care if she lived another day to be quite honest.

“I got it,” said a female twi’lek with green skin and purple civilian clothing as she slapped the credits down on the bar counter and pulled up a stool next to Jyn. She was beautiful, but the tone of her muscles told Jyn that she could definitely hold her own in a fight and she might be trouble.

“Um, thanks?” Jyn muttered to the stranger.

“Don’t mention it," the woman replied with friendly smile. "I thought I saw you coming out of the main hangar of the spaceport. I haven’t seen you around here before. You new to these parts?”

“Well, yes, actually,” Jyn answered. _Stupid!_ Jyn thought to herself. _Way to blow your cover to the first person you talk to!_ She hadn't slept in days and was exhausted from the journey, so her mental acuity wasn't the sharpest right now. And the drink wasn't helping much either.

“Well what brings you to Jelucan? This isn’t exactly the brightest star in the universe you know,” the woman added.

“Let’s just say I get bored easily and every once in a while I need some new scenery,” Jyn said, trying to imply that she didn’t want to talk.

The woman chuckled. “I see. Interesting. Do you have family or friends here?"

 _This lady’s really pushing it_ , Jyn thought to herself. She was beyond annoyed and was ready to clock her one. But the woman _did_ buy her the drink so she had to try play nice. For now at least. "No. I..." Jyn hesitated when her thoughts went to her mother. "It's just me."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "It'll be tough to get by here on your own, you know. The Empire runs a tight ship here. And given the fact you just arrived and don't have any contacts, I assume you’re looking for work?”

Jyn looked at her questionably. What did this woman really want from her? 

“Well, yes," Jyn said. "But I’m not that concerned about it right now. I’m sure I’ll find something." Jyn was an independent woman and _never_ asked for help.

“I'm sure you will," the stranger replied. "You know, I haul supplies here on my ship every month. My crew's a bit tied up at the moment though and I could really use some help."

"Help? What kind of help?" Jyn asked curiously. Was this stranger seriously about to offer her a job?

"The factory I get my cargo from is privately owned but the planet itself is under Imperial occupation. I've been having some...minor difficulties lately getting in and out..." the woman said as she glanced at Jyn’s forged scandoc on the bar counter.

Jyn knew immediately what this woman was talking about. She needed someone to forge clearance codes so she could land wherever she was going, pick up her cargo, and get out. Jyn had seen it a million times because this is what she was best at.

"So you're looking for someone who can...get you clearance codes to land?" Jyn asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Yea, something like that," the woman said as she finished her drink.

 _This is weird,_ Jyn thought. She didn't know if this woman was trying to con her into a scam or blackmail her with her forged scandoc. But Jyn had hit rock bottom a long time ago so what’d she have to lose? She took the bait. "I...I happen to know a thing or two about that actually. Clearance codes and such."

"Really? Hmm..." the woman eyed Jyn up and down as she continued to think. "Well why not? You seem pretty agreeable and easy to work with. What do you think?” she asked in a friendly tone.

Jyn gave her a skeptical glare. “You’re serious? You’re offering me a job? I don’t even know your name.” This was beyond bizarre to her.

“Well let's fix that. I’m Hera,” she said. Hera almost hesitated to use her real name, but there was something about this girl, something about her that gave Hera a good feeling. "And I didn't catch your name?"

Jyn hesitated. “Liana...Liana Hallick.” She never, under any circumstances, spoke her real name out loud for fear of being discovered. However, there was something about this stranger that made her feel _almost_ comfortable enough to use her real name. Maybe it was her good looks, her charm, or her courteous demeanor. Or maybe it was just the fatigue and drink kicking in.

“Liana…hmm…so, what’s it going to be?" Hera asked again. "The pay won’t be great and it's not the most exciting job _but_ it’s a few months of work that'll get you started. I've even got a spare room for you on my ship that you can have in the meantime.”

Jyn couldn’t believe her luck. Normally she’d be incredibly suspicious in this type of situation but there was something about this woman. Something that made her feel at ease, relaxed, and welcomed. This meeting _was_ oddly coincidental but she certainly wasn’t about to pass this opportunity up.

 “Alright. You've got a deal,” she replied. “Where’s your ship?”

 


	2. Chapter 2

Jyn and Hera stepped into Docking Bay 89 in Jelucan’s spaceport where Hera’s ship was comfortably parked and it was a sight to be sure: a VCX-100 freighter with a large cargo holding area, docking rings, and an auxiliary starfighter attached to the back. The ship even had a nose gun below the cockpit and a turret gun mounted on top. Whatever this woman was hauling, it had to have some value in perspective of that kind of firepower.

Jyn thought about asking what kind of cargo they were going to be transporting but she had learned throughout her life that sometimes knowing less was better. If this woman was hauling something illegal and they got caught, Jyn could always act oblivious and innocently claim she just needed the credits.

Hera led Jyn up to the ship and extended the loading ramp. “We call her the Ghost.”

“We? I thought you needed  _me_ because you didn’t have a crew?” Jyn asked. And as soon as she said that, a white and orange C1-series droid came whirling down the ramp.

Hera chuckled. “This is Chopper. Chopper, this is our new crewmember, Jyn. She's going to be helping us with the supply runs."

"Charming," Jyn acknowledged the droid as he whirled around her and gave her a few disgruntled beeps.

"I think you two will get along just fine,” Hera laughed as she led Jyn up the ramp to give her a tour of her new home for the next few months. They continued to walk through the main cargo holding area and up a ladder that led to the cockpit, galley, and four sleeping quarters, two on each side of the ship.

“Here, this used to be Sabine’s room," Hera said gesturing Jyn into one of the sleeping quarters. "She’s not going to be back anytime soon though so it’s your’s in the meantime.”

Jyn stepped into the room and eyed the walls which were covered in brightly-colored art. Hera could tell Jyn was a bit uncomfortable at not just the sight of the room, but at the whole situation really.

“It's alright. Trust me," Hera chuckled. "Sabine has a peculiar taste in art, but at least her room smells better than Zeb’s old room on the other side.”

"It's fine, really," Jyn said, trying to show some form of gratitude.

"Make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in a second,” Hera said as she walked into the adjacent room and closed the door.

Jyn sat on the bottom bunk absorbing the room’s details. Absorbing the details of the last hour of her life. Why was this woman helping her? Why was she being so generous? Was she with the Empire? She couldn't be, the Empire didn’t hire twi’leks. And if she was with the Empire, Jyn would either be arrested or dead by now. So what was the catch?

Hera returned, dressed in a pilot's orange jumpsuit with a brown and gray top, a blaster strapped to her calf, and brown goggles strapped to the top of her head, which once again confirmed to Jyn that there was something to this woman that she hadn't yet told her.

"Well? What do you think? Think this will work out for you?" Hera asked in a friendly tone, leaning against the door frame with crossed arms.

Jyn shouldn’t have felt alright with it considering how quickly this all came about and how suspicious it was. But for some reason, she  _was_  alright with it. This woman was intensely likeable and she actually did make Jyn feel very comfortable and welcomed here. Jyn tried to show some appreciation in return.

“Yes, I think so. Thanks.” Jyn lowered her eyes. “I…I don’t know why you’re helping me but…thank you,” she continued as she felt her cheeks flush. Jyn was always self-reliant and wasn't used to asking for help or taking handouts. But she truly was thankful for Hera being so gracious and accommodating.

Hera smiled. “Think nothing of it. I’m helping you, and you’re helping me. Besides, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us in the coming months. Not the most exciting work,  _but_  it's going to put credits in both our pockets. I've got a few things to tend to before we head out tomorrow so I'll leave you to do your thing with the clearance codes.” Hera turned and started walking out of the room.

“Hera?” Jyn called back.

“Yes, Liana?”

“It’s Jyn. My name’s Jyn,” she said in a friendly tone.

Hera smiled. “Welcome aboard Jyn."


	3. Chapter 3

Although the past eight months had been uneventful and monotonous by even Jyn's standards, she was content. Every week, she and Hera would fly to Mygeeto, Jyn would transmit forged clearance codes in order for them to land, the two of them would meet with the operator in the supplies facility, and then they’d load the unidentified supplies crates into the Ghost. Then when they landed back on Jelucan, they'd load the supplies on a man's speeders (the same man every week) and he was off to who knows where. And then they got paid. Simple as that. And Jyn never asked more questions than she needed to.

But during these few months, it was evident to both Jyn and Hera that this wasn't just another job for either of them. It was clear that they were quickly forming a close relationship, a tightly knit bond. They worked extremely well together, clearly enjoyed each other’s company, and allowed themselves to be open and vulnerable with each other. They didn’t view themselves as just crewmates and business partners anymore. They were close friends.

Hera and Jyn had just finished meeting with the facility operator for this supply run and went down to the dock to load the supplies into the Ghost.

"You're sure you don't want to know what we're transporting here?” Hera asked with an eyebrow raised. “Not even the slightest bit curious?"

"That's alright. The less I know, the better," Jyn said with a half-smile.

"Alright, have it your way," Hera replied, but then stopped and turned to Jyn. "I do want you to know though, you  _can_ trust me Jyn. I hope you know that at this point," Hera said, trying to reassure her.

And Jyn did know that. She couldn't remember the last time she felt comfortable enough to trust someone as much as she trusted Hera.

"Of course," Jyn replied with a smile as they continued to load the supplies into the Ghost.

Despite how close they were becoming, they were still cautious not to bring up certain things about their pasts. Jyn would talk at length about the worlds she’d visited, the cultures she’d seen, or the odd jobs she’d taken to get by, but when Hera had asked Jyn about her family, she just told Hera that they died when she was very young and she didn’t have much memory of them.

And while Hera would talk about Sabine and Zeb, her family on Ryloth, or even her brief memories of the Clone Wars, she was careful to never directly mention the Rebellion. She could tell Jyn didn’t like to discuss the war so she tried her best to avoid the subject. And Hera also respected Jyn's request to use her alias name, Liana Hallik, whenever they were doing business around anyone, and she didn't ask any questions about it.

Despite the fact they still kept some secrets to themselves, it would only take another month to transport the rest of the supplies and Hera didn't want to see Jyn go. But if she wanted her to stay, she'd have to tell Jyn what was to come after transporting the last of the cargo.

"Alright, that's the last of it," Hera said as she sealed the hatch. "We make a pretty good team you know. Maybe you should stick around once we’re done. We've only got about another month of this left but I'm sure I could still use your help for something.”

“Well if I stay it's only because I don't want to see poor Chopper's heart get broken when I leave," Jyn said sarcastically. It  _was_  true though. Chopper was becoming quite fond of Jyn, which he made evident as he rolled his way over to her, beeping with affection.

Hera laughed and shook her head at the two of them. Jokes aside though, Hera truly didn't want to let Jyn go.

"But please think about it Jyn,” Hera said in a comforting voice. “I'd love for you to stay with us."

"I know. I'd like to stick around too,” Jyn said with a half-smile. “But we’ll see once we're done.” Jyn had always had difficulty with making commitments, which was understandable considering how many times she’d been let down in her life.

Jyn knew this is what she wanted though. At least it's what she thought she wanted. She now had a quiet, simple, and complacent life. A life away from the fight between the Empire and the Rebellion. And better yet, she could enjoy this life with someone she cared for.

But deep down inside, she knew she was more than a clearance code forger or a supplies hauler.  And she certainly knew she wasn’t achieving her full potential or seeking out her true purpose in life. But she did her best to shut those thoughts out quickly, as she always did. She didn't like to confront those types of thoughts because they were, quite frankly, uncomfortable.

Hera and Jyn proceeded to walk towards the cockpit but Jyn figured this would be an appropriate time to ask about anyone else besides Sabine and Zeb she should expect to work with if she decided to say. “So you talk about Sabine and Zeb quite a bit. Any idea when they’ll be back?”

"I’m not entirely sure but I know I'll need them sooner rather than later..." Hera replied as she let her words trail off. Jyn felt like there was more to that statement than Hera was telling her.

"Anyone else coming back?" Jyn added. "Just wondering who else I should expect to see in the case that I stick around."

Hera's face darkened. Eight months had passed since Kanan and Ezra had sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Lothal. The whole crew had fought relentlessly for years to free that planet, but because of Kanan and Ezra's sacrifice, they were finally able to succeed. Kanan and Ezra were Jedi, maybe the last of their kind, but that wasn't as important to Hera as the fact that they were her family. And little did Jyn know that it would only be a matter of months until she gave birth to Kanan's son.

Hera started to respond and then hesitated. Was she really about to open up to this girl she'd known for only a few months? She thought it was the Force nudging her, or maybe the two of them really did have a strong bond. But regardless, she needed to be completely honest with Jyn now.

“No Jyn. No one else. It'll just be Sabine and Zeb," Hera paused as she gathered her thoughts. "There were however, two Jedi that were part of my crew. One was my partner, Kanan Jarrus. The other was essentially my adopted son, Ezra Bridger. Both of them are...well...they're gone now," she said, looking away solemnly.

Jyn felt embarrassed. “I’m...I'm sorry. I...I didn’t mean to be intrusive."

“No, it’s alright Jyn," Hera said softly. "I know we've only known each other for a few months now but I know I can trust you. And I hope you know you can trust me. Because there's more I want to tell you about this operation.”

Jyn took a slight step backwards. “What do you mean?”

Hera took a deep breath. “Jyn, I have to tell you, these supplies are weapons and munitions being stockpiled for an attack the Rebel Alliance is planning on the Empire's primary military base on Jelucan. I told you my name is Hera, but my full name is Hera Syndulla. I'm a General in the Rebel Alliance and I'll be leading the attack on Jelucan within days of dropping off the last shipment.”

So this was the answer to all the riddles. Jyn should've been shocked but she wasn't completely surprised. In addition to her previous suspicions, she'd witnessed this woman's flying skills first hand and she knew that she didn't get that good at flying just by hauling supplies. Regardless though, she was still taken aback by the situation.

"I...I don't know what to say..." Jyn said as she slowly sat down against the wall trying to process all of Hera’s words.

Hera sat next to her and tried to comfort her. “I know I should’ve told you earlier Jyn. But you have to understand, had I told you everything and something went wrong, something awful could've happened to you. I didn't want to put you in more danger than you already were in. But after working with you these past few months, I also didn’t want you to leave once we were finished with these supply runs. Jyn, I know you have more potential than this. You’re a fighter and you have a big heart. I know you could be a huge help to us in Jelucan's liberation.”

"Me, a fighter?" Jyn asked, trying to act ignorant.

"C’mon Jyn, I see you practicing with your blaster and truncheons almost every day. You don't get that good at shooting a blaster and whirling around a couple of sticks just by hitting targets," Hera replied.

Jyn should’ve been furious with this situation. Furious with Hera. She hated the Empire but the Rebellion wasn’t much better. It took two sides to fight and that fight had only brought her pain and despair all of her life.

But how could Jyn be mad? Hera had only been courteous, nurturing, approachable, accommodating, and loving ever since she met her. And to be quite honest, Hera reminded Jyn a lot of her mother Lyra, which is maybe why she trusted and cared for Hera so much.

“I’m sorry Jyn,” Hera apologized. “I know it’s a lot to take in at once…”

“It’s alright," Jyn shook her head. "I just…when I took this job I was just trying to...”

“…avoid this fight in the first place," Hera finished her sentence. "Stay under the radar, living a quiet life, hiding from the Empire. But Jyn, you have to understand, as long as the Empire spreads tyranny across the galaxy there is no hiding.”

Those words hit Jyn hard. Hard enough to crack open her cave. The cave in her mind where she tried to forget traumatic memories that she could never move on from completely. Memories of her mother lying in her father's arms after being gunned down by stormtroopers in black. A memory of her father leaving her behind to work on terrible weapons with the Empire. A memory of herself hiding in a cave on Lah'mu as a child, terrified by the traumatic experience of losing her parents. And a memory of Saw Gerrera, taking her in, turning her into a fighter, but then abandoning her when things got rough.

But despite how difficult it was to confront these memories, Jyn decided that if Hera was going to be completely open and honest with her, it was time that she did the same.

Jyn took a deep breath. “Hera, I think it’s time I told you a few things about me too,” Jyn said in a measured tone. “When I was a child, my father was a scientist for the Empire. But he abandoned his work after learning that the Empire was using his research for weapons instead of energy. So we fled our home to hide from the Empire. But they eventually found us." Jyn paused as she mustered the strength to say her next sentence. "And when they did find us, I watched stormtroopers kill my mother and take my father away with them. And I haven't seen him ever since.”

“Jyn, I’m...I'm so sorry,” Hera said trying to comfort her.

"Hera, this fight between the Empire and your Rebellion has taken everything and everyone in my life away from me.” Jyn was trying her best not to aim her frustrations at Hera directly. “All it's ever brought me is pain. And I...I can't afford to be hurt by it anymore. Or lose anyone else that I...that I love.”

Hera blushed. She was incredibly touched by the fact that Jyn felt that bond between them the same way she did.

 “I've really enjoyed working with you Hera,” Jyn added. “Really, I have. To be quite honest, I haven't been this vulnerable with someone in years. After what happened to my parents, I never felt like I could trust someone like I trust you. But I...I can't get involved in this fight Hera. Not again," Jyn said matter-of-factly.

"But Jyn, please listen to me..." Hera begged softly.

"I'll help you finish the supply runs," Jyn replied with tears in her eyes. "I don't want to leave you but I can't promise that I'll stay once we're finished," she continued as her voice cracked. Jyn knew that joining Hera in the fight against the Empire was her opportunity to find her true purpose in life. To fulfill her potential. But she was afraid, as she'd always been. Afraid of failing. Afraid of becoming attached to someone again and losing them at the expense of this fight. And afraid of confronting those awful memories from her cave.

"Of course, Jyn. I understand. But, please, think about it. I really don't want to see you go," Hera pleaded softly. And then they embraced for the first time, not as crewmates, business partners, or even friends. But as family.

 


	4. Chapter 4

"Initiating the landing cycle..." Hera said to Jyn as the Ghost started its descent into Mygeeto for the final haul of supplies.

The Ghost landed in the supplies facility’s main hangar and Jyn and Hera made their way down the cockpit ladder to the cargo holding area. Jyn hadn't said a word more about staying with Hera after this last run. Just the thought of that conversation twisted her stomach, as did all uncomfortable conversations. But she couldn't put it off anymore.

"Hera,” Jyn said, getting Hera’s attention before opening the hatch. “I...I thought about what you told me. Everything about...the Rebels and the attack you're planning on Jelucan. And I...I've decided that I..." she hesitated when she realized that Hera was clinging on to every word of her's. "I want to stay," Jyn said in a low voice.

"Jyn, that's great!" Hera replied enthusiastically as she put an arm around her.

"But just know, I'm not exactly doing this for your cause,” Jyn responded before Hera could say anymore. “I want to stay with you Hera. You took me in when you didn't have to. You've only shown me love since I've arrived. And despite how afraid I am to lose you, I don't want that to happen by me walking away."

Hera was elated. "Thank you Jyn. I do hope you eventually come around on your beliefs about having a place in this fight. But that's not as important to me right now as the fact that you're staying. Thank you so much Jyn. It means the world to me."

“It’s the least I could do after everything you’ve done for me,” Jyn said with a smile, fighting back tears.

"But enough of that," Jyn said sarcastically, trying to change the subject to make herself feel less vulnerable than she already did. "Let's get this last shipment so we can get out of here."

 


	5. Chapter 5

Hera and Jyn made their way down the long hallway of the supplies facility. The walls and ceiling were gray and the floors were polished black. The operator's office was at the far end of the hallway, but as they continued walking, something felt off to both of them.

The hallways were empty and as Hera and Jyn could clearly see through the wide hallway windows, production in the factory had ceased entirely. They exchanged looks of concern, both of them knowing that something wasn’t right.

They arrived at the operator's office and Hera reached out to open the door but to their surprise, it suddenly opened from the inside. And then they saw the operator, lying lifeless on the floor with blaster holes through her back. And behind her was a squad of stormtroopers in black armor.

"No witnesses! Don't let them escape" ordered a stormtrooper, who judging by the markings on her shoulder, was the ranking officer.

Blaster bolts whizzed past their heads and Jyn slammed the door shut before the stormtroopers could exit the room. She proceeded to blast the locking mechanism and the two of them immediately started sprinting down the hallway. But at the far end that led to the main hangar, another squad of stormtroopers was already making their way towards them, so they ducked into another hallway, ran into one of the elevators, and slammed the door shut.

"What happened?!" Jyn cried as she checked the power charge on her blaster.

"The Empire must've seized control over this facility," Hera said grimly. “I figured it would come to that eventually but I thought we'd be finished with the supply runs before they took over." Hera turned on the comlink on her forearm, "Fulcrum, Fulcrum, this is Spectre-2, do you read?"

"Affirmative, what's your status Spectre-2," a fuzzy, low-pitched voice replied.

"The last supply run's gone south and we could use some help. Send what you can spare."

"We're stretched thin right now, but l'll see what we can do Spectre-2. Fulcrum out."

The elevator doors opened to the top floor and Jyn and Hera stepped out to what was the facility's control center.

Jyn rushed to one of the monitors. "It looks like they've got everything locked down in the main hangar, including the Ghost.”

"Chop, come in Chop," Hera shouted into her comlink, but there was no response. "Ugh, they must be jamming all communications now.”

Jyn was studying the layout of the facility on a map shown on the north wall of the command center. "It looks like those doors opposite to the elevators open to a hallway that leads to the east landing platform. From what I can see on the monitors, the stormtroopers haven't reached it yet. Probably because they have to go up this elevator and through this command center to get to it."

"Well then what’re we waiting for?" Hera replied. "I think it's our only way out at this point. We can steal a ship to get down to the main hangar and hopefully get Chop and the Ghost out of there before more troops arrive." And as soon as Hera finished her sentence, the elevator doors opened again with blaster bolts piercing through the air. Jyn and Hera leapt over the equipment for cover and returned fire.

"There’re too many of them Hera. They've got us pinned. We can't get to the door!" Jyn shouted over the blaster fire, pointing to the door towards the east platform.

"Jyn, you go. I'll cover you," Hera replied as she fired off a couple shots.

Jyn sprinted to the door as Hera opened fire on the stormtroopers. Once Jyn made her way through, she quickly crouched behind the side of the door against the wall as blaster bolts peppered the door's frame.

"Hera!" Jyn shouted back. "Hera, c'mon, I'll cover you! You can make it." But more stormtroopers continued to pass through the elevator doors and started firing on both of them.

"Go Jyn!" Hera shouted as stormtroopers slowly advanced.

"Hera, I'm not leaving without you!" Jyn desperately begged.

"Go Jyn, that's an order!" Hera demanded again.

"Hera, no! You can make it." In Jyn’s her heart though she knew both of them couldn’t make it out alive with what they were up against. Was she seriously about to lose yet another person she'd grown so emotionally attached to? Let alone, someone she loved and viewed almost as a mother?

And then Jyn and Hera locked eyes for a long moment, as if time had stopped. As if they knew this was the last time they would see each other.

But that moment evaporated as Hera shouted, "I said go Jyn!" and she blasted the door's locking mechanism. And just as the door slammed shut, the floor shook from an explosion inside the command center.

"Hera! Hera!" Jyn screamed, pounding on the door in panic. After a few moments with no answer, she fell to her knees in shock.  _How is this happening?! How could I leave Hera like that? Is she dead? Could she still be alive?!_

But then Hera's words echoed in her mind:  _"I do want you to know though, you can trust me Jyn. I hope you know that at this point."_

Leaving Hera was the last thing Jyn wanted to do but she  _did_ trust Hera. And she trusted her own instincts. So she ran down the hallway to the east platform, dove into the cockpit of one of the empty starfighters, and rocketed the ship off the platform as fast as she could. She looked behind her in the cockpit to see stormtroopers had made their way to the platform and started firing in her direction. They had taken the command center and Jyn had once again lost someone she dearly loved.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Jyn sat in the cockpit of her stolen starfighter weeping uncontrollably. She was used to a life of abandonment but she never had any intentions of being the one to abandon someone, let alone a person she loved and cared for as much as Hera.

She tried to reach Hera and Chopper on her comlink one last time but once again, no response. Judging by the force of the blast inside the command center, Hera was most likely dead. And she could only guess what had become of poor Chopper.

She didn't know where else to go so she set course for Jelucan. She was clueless as to where the supplies they delivered were being stockpiled, but maybe,  _just maybe_ , she could find a way to get in contact with the Rebels there and see if they were able to reach Hera.

Jyn landed her stolen starfighter in the spaceport of Jelucan's main city and not much had changed since she'd left. In fact, the city was oddly quieter than usual. The sun was getting ready to set and there were significantly less stormtroopers patrolling. To her surprise, people seemed to be happily going about their business, like it was an ordinary day.

Jyn was incredibly exhausted but she opted against getting a room that night. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep and she didn't want to waste any of the credits that she'd been saving up for months now. But she also didn't want to get caught being out after curfew, so she started walking out of the city towards the mountains. Getting in touch with the natural world always seemed to help calm her senses anyhow. It grounded her in the way that her mother's kyber crystal necklace grounded her.

Jyn wandered about a grassy field lightly covered in snow as her thoughts dwelled on how she let Hera down. Left her behind. Abandoned her. Sure Hera had given her direct orders to leave, and if she were in Hera's position, she would've told Hera the exact same thing. She still couldn't avoid letting that guilt hang over head though. Just like she had with her mother's death. But that thought quickly vanished when she suddenly stumbled and fell flat on her face.

Jyn spit out snow, grass, and dirt, picked herself up, and scanned the ground to see what had made her clumsily lose her step. But after further examination, she saw something in the ground. It looked like a metal hatch, a doorway leading to an underground bunker or something. But after brushing away the snow and grass, she saw something incredibly strange. It was a piece of stone artwork embedded in the ground. She continued to brush away the snow and grass until she uncovered the entire mural that stretched as wide and as long as her.

"What, in the universe, is that?" Jyn whispered to herself, thoroughly confused.

She got down on her knees to take a closer look. The mural was a depiction of three individuals. On the left side, a young woman dressed in white with green hair. On the right, a young man dressed in black, completely shaven, with red eyes. In the middle, an elderly man dressed in blue with a gray beard and a blue pointed hat. And surrounding the three were several yellow rings.

She couldn't figure out what it was or why it was in the ground in the middle of a field for that matter.  _So strange_ , Jyn thought to herself, unable to come up with an answer to this puzzle.

Then out of nowhere, Jyn heard some sort of indigenous creature howl in the distance. Given her current mental state, she was easily caught off guard and she quickly clutched her kyber crystal necklace as she always did when she was startled. And had she not placed her hand on the picture of the woman to steady herself, she probably would’ve fell flat on her face again.

Jyn closed her eyes when she realized she was perfectly fine and took a deep breath to try and compose herself. Her thoughts went to her mother. Thinking of her mother always comforted her and centered her emotions.  _What would my mother say to me right now?_ Jyn asked herself.

"Trust the Force," Jyn whispered. Those were her mother's last words to her before she died.

Then suddenly the ground moved. She thought it was a small earthquake, maybe an explosion in the distance. She wanted to move but she felt paralyzed in her current position, like she was stuck in time.

Then she heard a women’s voice say, “We are the ones who guard the power. We are the middle, the beginning, and the end.” And then she thought for sure that her eyes and ears were deceiving her as she watched in complete shock as the woman’s head turned to face the older man and the yellow rings brightly lit up.

And then without warning, the mural suddenly had no mass, and Jyn fell through the ground into deep, dark space.

 


	7. Chapter 7

When Jyn came to, she slowly stood up and scanned her surroundings in complete awe. There was no floor, no ceiling, and no walls in this place she had just entered. Just black space and stars in the distance as far as she could see. She glanced behind her to see a circular portal with a brightly lit white border and oddly designed creatures surrounding it.

 _What happened? How did I get in here? What is this place?_ she wondered, rubbing the bruise on her head. She continued to scan the area and saw portals connected by long, black pathways lined in white light. Having no idea what to do, she started walking down one of the paths, trying to get a grip on where she was.

And then, out of thin air, she heard a man's voice say, “ _Who are you?”_

She frantically turned around. "What?! Who's there?! Where are you?!" She screamed into the blackness.

She thought maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her. Her senses were clouded to say the least, considering what all happened in the last couple days. But that voice was so distinct! It was as if the man who said that was standing right behind her!

Then she heard the man's voice again.  _"The Force is not a power you have....It's the energy between all things. A tension, a balance that binds the universe together."_

"What? I...I don't understand..." Jyn stuttered out loud to the empty space.

 _"Just breathe,"_  the voice continued. _"Reach out with your feelings. What do you see?"_

She should've screamed and ran until she couldn't run anymore, trying to escape this horror, this nightmare. But she knew that would get her nowhere, so she opted to trust her instincts and do exactly what the voice said. She slowed her breathing and clutched her mother's necklace, trying to get a grip on her emotions. Once she felt more at ease, she opened her eyes and started walking down the path again. And then suddenly, she heard more voices, all distinct, but blurring together.

 _"I don’t quit! I never quit!"_  a fearless, young woman shouted.

 _"They’ll be the architects of their own destruction,”_ a man said in a cool and calculated voice.

 _"Be mindful of your thoughts, they betray you,"_ a man said assertively.

 _"No! I’m not going to take the fall, for something I didn’t do!"_ a young woman cried defiantly.

 _"My master abandoned me. And that’s exactly what you did to her,"_ a woman said spitefully.

 _"You’re focusing on the negative, be mindful of your thoughts,"_ said the man she'd heard a second ago.

 _"All mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like. It’s the only way we grow,”_ a young woman said encouragingly.

 _"Things will be different, I promise,"_ a young man said in a weary, but confident voice.

_"We have hope, hope that things can get better. And they will."_

Jyn knew that last voice. It was Hera!

“Hera?! Hera! It's me! Jyn!” she screamed, running down one of the paths towards the portal where she thought she had heard Hera’s voice coming from.

 _Hera's alive, I knew it! I just knew it!_ Jyn thought as she ran. Within moments, she reached the portal and anxiously gazed into it, hoping to see something. Hoping to see Hera.

And to her surprise, she _did_! An image in the portal formed before her eyes of a green twi’lek in an orange jumpsuit pinned behind equipment by stormtroopers in black armor.

Jyn gasped. “That’s…that’s Hera!” She continued to watch the scene unravel before her eyes. She saw herself now, standing on the other side of the door, begging for Hera to come to her. It was as if she was standing right next to Hera. It felt so real, more real than actual life.

" _I said go Jyn!_ " she heard Hera yell. And just as the command center door slammed shut, Jyn watched as one of the stormtroopers activated a thermal detonator and tossed it in Hera's direction.

"No!" Jyn screamed. And just before the detonator went off, Jyn instinctively reached out and pulled Hera through the other side of the portal.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Jyn and Hera woke up to find themselves lying on the path outside of the portal.

“Where...where am I?" Hera said half-consciously. She gazed at her surroundings and finally noticed Jyn standing over her. "I was…wait…Jyn?! Jyn! How...you were...what happened?...”

Jyn helped her up to her feet. “Hera, I…I have  _no_  idea how I got in this place," Jyn frantically stuttered. "But I…I just saw you and… I couldn't just let you...”

"Jyn, you...you saved me back there..." Hera said in a soft voice as she looked back at the portal. "But...how did you?..." she was still clearly dazed by what happened to her.

"Hera, I...I was going to go back for you," Jyn tried to explain as her emotions started getting the better of her. "But I...I panicked and I...I left you behind."

"Jyn," Hera gently placed her hand on Jyn's shoulder to try and comfort her. "You  _did not_  panic and you  _did not_  leave me behind. I gave you a direct order to go. And you did exactly as I told you. You did good Jyn."

Despite how guilty Jyn felt, she couldn't argue with her. "I...I didn't know where to go so I went back to Jelucan, hoping to find one of your Rebels. I didn't have anywhere to stay so I wandered out towards the mountains and found this...this thing in the ground, a picture or a mural, of some kind. Then I...I don't know what happened...I just…sort of fell through the ground and into this place, as crazy as it sounds..."

Suddenly Hera’s eyes grew as she slowly realized where they were. “Jyn. Wait, I…I think I know this place,” Hera said, gazing into the infinite blackness.

“ _You_  know this place?” Jyn asked skeptically.

“Jyn, you remember how I told you about Ezra? The Jedi who was part of my crew?” Hera added. “Right before the liberation of Lothal, he was somehow through the Force, able to enter a hidden Jedi Temple. This place is exactly how he described it to me. The Temple on Lothal was destroyed but what you've found on Jelucan must be something just like it."

“You’ve got to be joking?" Jyn said in disbelief, eyebrows raised.

Hera was deep in thought, trying to remember more of Ezra's words. “I'm not Jyn. When Ezra entered this space, he said there were... there were voices speaking to him.”

“So they were real...” Jyn whispered to herself as she looked away, realizing she wasn't going crazy for hearing those voices.

Hera glanced back at Jyn. “Wait, you heard voices too? What did they say to you?”

Jyn shook her head. “It all happened so fast and they were all blurring together,” she said, trying to recall every one of their words. “They were all telling me different things. But at the same time, it was if they were trying to get the same message across.”

Hera was deep in thought now trying to put together all the pieces to this puzzle. “Ezra said all the voices he heard were coming together to tell him this one thing. This last lesson of his as a Jedi,” Hera said. “Then he, like you, saw someone in one of these portals, someone very important to him, someone he loved, and he…”

“...saved them” Jyn finished her sentence, looking back at the portal.

“Well, yes,” Hera replied, somewhat embarrassed after fully realizing what Jyn had done for her. “You saved my life Jyn. And that wouldn’t have been possible had you not trusted your instincts and my orders. I can't thank you enough Jyn,” she said as she embraced Jyn.

Jyn blushed as she slowly pulled away. “I’ve lost a lot in my life but I wasn’t about to lose you too," she said with a smile, fighting back tears.

Hera took another glance around her, searching for an answer on how to get out. "So do you know which of the portals you entered through?" she asked Jyn. "I'd imagine that'd be the way out."

Jyn looked around. “I think it's over there, on the far side. The one with all those strange creatures in white surrounding it."

They started making their way towards it but Hera was still intently processing this situation and trying to remember all of Ezra's description. “Jyn, I still can’t believe all this. I figured only a Jedi could get into a place like this but I don't think you found this by accident. And I'm not talking about just saving me." Everything was coming back to her now. “Because when Ezra entered this place, he said he was...faced with...some kind of test...a test that...”

Then Jyn and Hera suddenly heard a man's voice say, " _Jyn, whatever I do, I do it to protect you. Say you understand."_

It had been a long time,  _a long time_ , since Jyn had heard that voice but she could never forget it. It was Galen, her father!

“That’s my father!” Jyn shouted. "Papa! Papa! It’s me! Jyn! Where are you?!” She cried out frantically as she started sprinting down one of the paths. Hearing his voice again stirred up so many mixed emotions in her heart. She had resented her father for years for abandoning her, but if it was possible to save her father, then it had to be possible to save her mother as well.

“Jyn, wait!" Hera shouted as she quickly chased after her.

“Hera, you don't understand! If I could save you, then I can save my parents!” Jyn protested. She screeched to a halt in front of the portal and looked into it, anticipating to see her family once more.

And Jyn  _did_  see them. She saw her mother standing defiantly in front of an Imperial Officer dressed in white, and her father, begging her mother to lower her blaster.

“Jyn, please! Listen to me!" Hera begged as she stood behind her. "This is exactly what happened to Ezra with Kanan. If you save your mother it may very well cost you your life!"

“I know what I have to do Hera,” Jyn firmly said as she clenched her fists. In her heart, Jyn knew Hera was right though. If she brought her parents back, who knows how that would alter her past, present, and future. But she just wanted to see her mother again so badly...

Hera tried to comfort her once more as she stood behind her and gently placed her hand on Jyn's shoulder. “I’m sorry Jyn, but you can’t bring back your parents. Just like I can’t bring back Kanan and Ezra.”

Jyn knew she needed to listen to Hera but she continued to slowly reach towards the portal anyway to grab her mother before it was too late. But then she hesitated as her thoughts went to what her mother would say to her in this situation. And then, as if on cue, she heard a woman's voice say,  _"Trust the Force."_

Jyn’s jaw dropped. Those undeniably were her mother’s last words to her!

And in that moment, despite how indescribably painful it would be for her, she knew what she had to do. Her arm slowly fell to her side and she watched the stormtroopers gun down her mother. And as her mother fell to the ground, Jyn slowly turned away from the portal and collapsed under the weight of her decision. Hands on her knees, she looked up with tears in her eyes, searching for an answer. " _Why? Why would you do this to me?!"_ she internally screamed at the Force.

Hera kneeled down at Jyn's side to comfort her. “I’m…I’m so sorry Jyn. I know how hard that was for you. You want your parents back more than anything. But it was the right thing to do to let them go.”

Tears were streaking down Jyn’s face. “I…I just...I know what my mother would have told me. She would have told me the same thing you did. But I…I just wanted to…”

“I know Jyn, you don’t need to say anymore," Hera said softly. "I know you blame yourself for all the bad things that have happened in your life. Blamed yourself for all the bad things that have happened to your loved ones. But you can't Jyn. Your mother made a choice to make a stand against tyranny. It was her choice. Her's alone. You have to let go of that guilt that you hold on to so tightly."

"I...I know..." Jyn muttered, sobbing into Hera's shoulder as Hera held her.

Hera let Jyn collect herself and then grasped Jyn’s shoulders. "Jyn, you're a strong person, but because of this moment, you're going to be stronger than you ever could've been before. Strong enough to finally find your purpose and make a real difference in this world. Your mother would be proud of you Jyn."

"Thanks...thanks Hera..." Jyn said wiping away her tears. "I don't know what I'd do without you," she chuckled, trying to sound jovial.

But this moment was short-lived as the sound of thunder rumbled throughout the place and more of Ezra's words started to come back to Hera. "Jyn, I'm sure you know that we can't stay here.”

"Stay here?" Jyn replied as she stood up. "I've been trying to find the exit since I got here."

"You know that I can't come with you right?" Hera said in a low voice.

Just as Jyn couldn't save her parents, she knew that by Hera couldn't come back with her either. "I know Hera," she answered reluctantly.

 And then without warning, the path they were on began to slowly tilt and a force started pulling them towards one of the portals on the other end.

"Hera? Hera, what's happening?!" Jyn cried.

"I don't know Jyn but it can't be good!" Hera replied, trying to steady her balance.

And then Jyn saw it in the portal on the far side of the path. It was the cave. The cave in her mind that haunted her with everything she wanted to forget. The cave that brought painful and traumatic memories to the forefront of her mind that she wanted to bury. And the cave was pulling them in!

"Jyn, run. Run!" Hera shouted with urgency.

They sprinted as fast as they could away from the portal as it tried to pull them towards it. The path they were on was about to split into two paths that would lead each of them to the portals that brought them here in the first place.

"I'll come find you Hera! I will!" Jyn said intently.

"I know Jyn. We will see each other again. I promise!" Hera replied right before they took down their different paths. And within a few moments, they each reached their respective portals and leapt out of the cosmic world.

 


	9. Chapter 9

Hera woke up on the floor of the facility's command center on Mygeeto. There were blaster bolt holes covering the walls, and judging by the condition of the hardware, it appeared there was a major explosion of some kind. But no sight of stormtroopers. Not even the ones she and Jyn had taken down. And then suddenly a rebel soldier burst through the elevator door.

"Hera!" the soldier cried in relief.

"Melshi! What're you doing here?" Hera asked, still half-dazed by the experience.

"We came to get you out of here. All the stormtroopers are either dead or retreated. Strange that we didn't see you when we were up here,” he said as he stroked his thin brown beard. “Anyhow, Chopper and the Ghost are fine but where's your other crew member? Liana...Liana Hallik. We need to get out of here before the Empire's reinforcements arrive."

"She..." Hera’s memory was still a little fuzzy. "I think she was able to get out. She's probably back on Jelucan. We have to go back there and find her," she said affirmatively as she stood up.

Melshi gravely nodded. "We're going back to Jelucan Hera, but, I have to let you know what you should expect to see."

"What? What do you mean?" Hera's face went dark.

Melshi took a long deep breath. "I think you need to take a seat Hera."

 


	10. Chapter 10

Jyn was lying in a field of snow-covered grass and clutching her kyber crystal when she was startled awake by the sound of a man’s voice whispering, “ _The future, by its nature, can be changed_.”

She frantically stood up and gazed around the field, trying to find the source of that voice.  _It has to be here somewhere,_ she thought to herself as she brushed the snow and grass away, searching for the mural.

"This doesn't make any sense. It was right here. I know it was!" Jyn whispered to herself in frustration.  But she found nothing.  _Was that all just a dream? It couldn't have been. It felt so real!_

But it was obvious that the mural had disappeared and there was nothing more she could do. And she needed to act quickly if she wanted to find Hera. She had to be alive.

There were still had a few hours left before the sun would be come up so she quickly made her way to the city in hopes of taking her ship back to Mygeeto and finding Hera. But when she reached the city's outskirts, she looked to the east to see an alarming amount of smoke rising in the distance. And a couple hundred meters in that same direction, she saw a dozen Imperial AT-AT walkers, along with scout troopers on speeder bikes and a legion of stormtroopers.

 _No! They found the Rebel’s base,_ Jyn thought to herself. _And now the city is going to pay the price for it!_

Jyn sprinted as fast as she could to the spaceport, but to her dismay, found it completely locked down by stormtroopers covering the perimeter. She spun around as she heard explosions and screams nearby and now the troopers had spotted her.

"You! Stop right there!" shouted a trooper as he ran after her.

She ran but the troopers were closing in on her from all directions, until a dozen or so completely surrounded her. She was beyond physically and mentally exhausted but she wouldn't go down without a fight. But before she could even draw her blaster, a stormtrooper dressed in black came up behind her, slammed the butt of his blaster on the back of her head, and Jyn fell to the ground unconscious.

"We'll take this one prisoner," the trooper ordered. "Load her in the transport. The one going to Wobani."

 


	11. Chapter 11

Hera couldn't believe her eyes when she and Melshi arrived on Jelucan. She landed the Ghost on one of the taller plateaus where they could get a good glimpse of the city. Or what was left of it for that matter.

From what she could see through her quadnocs, the Rebel base that they had been forming for months was completely obliterated and burned to the ground. And the city was empty and lifeless, scarred by blaster bolts and explosions.

"All of those months preparing...and now it's...gone..." Hera said, still in disbelief. And now she couldn't help but think about Jyn too. "Jyn...I'm...I'm so sorry Jyn," she whispered as she closed her eyes. Chopper rolled to her side and extended one of his mechanical arms to comfort her, but she quickly tried to collect herself as she heard Melshi approaching behind her.

"Hera, from what we were able to find out from our intel, the Empire decided to make an example out of the city after it found out about our base here. They killed half the civilians and took the other half prisoner. Most likely the survivors were taken to an Imperial labor camp," Melshi said with disappointment in his voice.

"Do we have any idea which camp they took them to?" Hera asked, hoping Melshi would have the answer she so desperately needed.

"Not that we know of,” he replied with a sigh. “The Empire has hundreds of labor camps so it's difficult to know for sure. But our Intelligence Group  _is_  working on intercepting some of the Empire's communications to see what we can find out."

"Well I want to be the first to know of anything,” Hera firmly told him. “Anything you hear about the prisoners. Or Liana. Is that understood?"

"Of course," Melshi replied assuredly. "But we do need to be going. The Rebel Council has been called to the base on Yavin 4 and they're requesting an update on the situation."

Hera nodded reluctantly and turned back to the ship.

"And besides," Melshi added. "It’s not going to take the Empire long to find out we were here."

 


	12. Chapter 12

"You wanted to see me sir?" Melshi asked as he took a seat in General Draven's office in the Rebel base. The air was unpleasantly hot and humid that day, but that was expected, considering Yavin 4 was a jungle planet.

"Yes, take a seat Melshi," Draven replied, running his fingers through his red hair. "My intelligence technicians believe they've found the whereabouts of the prisoners from Jelucan. Including General Syndulla's crewmember, Liana Hallik. They're all in an Imperial labor camp in the Wobani system."

"That's good news sir," Melshi said. "But are we actually considering a full-on attack on an Imperial prison complex? Because that's what it would take to get all of them out of there."

"No Melshi, but I'm afraid the situation has become much more serious. Serious for the future of the Rebellion for that matter," Draven said as he looked away. "I can't say much but apparently there's more to this Liana Hallik than we realized and she's going to be absolutely critical for our next mission."

“I don't completely understand sir," Melshi asked.

"Like I said Melshi, there's not much else I can say. This mission is strictly confidential and I can only tell you what you absolutely need to know," Draven said matter-of-factly. "Your mission is to extract Liana Hallik from that prison and bring her here, alive. That's all I can say."

"Understood sir," Melshi replied, still somewhat confused. "I'll have my squad ready to go before mid-day."

"Thank you Melshi. You're dismissed," Draven nodded. Melshi got up from his seat but before he reached the door he heard Draven call back to him. "Oh, and Melshi?"

"Yes, General?" Melshi asked.

"As I said, this mission is to remain strictly confidential. You are to tell no one about this extraction. No one. And that includes General Syndulla," Draven said firmly.

Melshi pursed his lips together and nodded. "Affirmative sir."

 


	13. Chapter 13

The Rebel shuttle landed on Yavin 4 and Jyn stepped down the landing ramp into the muggy air. She had just been rescued by the Rebel Alliance from an Imperial prison, but judging by her handcuffs, they weren’t exactly thrilled to see her. Did they know she was Lyra and Galen’s daughter? Or Saw’s former accomplice? Did they need information from her? Did they want to kill her? Her mind raced with the possibilities.

A Rebel soldier escorted her into the base. Her surroundings were completely alien to her and she intensely scanned the area, not just to see what she was up against if she tried to escape, but also hoping to get a glimpse of Hera.  _She has to be here. If I can just find her and talk to her, I know she’d speak up for me,_  Jyn thought to herself.

“This way,” the Rebel soldier said as he ushered Jyn into the main briefing room. He led her up to the central table, released her handcuffs, and closed the door behind him as he walked out of the room.

“You’re currently calling yourself Liana Hallik. Is that correct?” asked a man with red hair who stood on the other side of the table. “Possession of unsanctioned weapons, forgery of Imperial documents, aggravated assault, escape from custody, resisting arrest. Imagine if the Imperial authorities had found out who you really were. Jyn Erso?" The man paused. "That’s your given name, is it not? Jyn Erso? Daughter of Galen Erso. A known Imperial collaborator in weapons development.”

After all of those years of trying to conceal her identity, they were still somehow able to uncover the truth. Jyn wanted to scream in anger as a woman with auburn hair, dressed in white approached the other side of the table.

“What is this?” Jyn demanded with venom in her voice.

“It’s a chance for you to make a fresh start,” calmly replied the woman, who Jyn now realized was Mon Mothma, the former Imperial Senator, now leader of the Rebel Alliance. “We think you might be able to help us.”


	14. Chapter 14

The sun was getting ready to set on Yavin 4 as Hera made her way to Mon Mothma’s office after just returning from a reconnaissance mission to the Hoth system.

“Come in Hera,” Mon said when she saw Hera approaching her office.

“Hello Mon. You said there was something concerning that you wanted to speak to me about?” Hera stepped into the room and closed the door.

“Yes, Hera. It appears that there may very well be some truth to the rumors of the secret weapon that the Empire’s been building,” Mon said gravely. “We’ve just received report from Jedha that the moon has suffered astronomical damage at the hands of the Empire. That’s all we know right now so I need you to go to Jedha and bring back evidence of this destruction, including the existence of this weapon, if possible.”

Hera was shocked. She’d heard rumors of this weapon but wasn’t entirely convinced something of that scale could actually be constructed. But the Empire had finally done it. They had unleashed true terror on the galaxy now. A planet killer.

“Of course, Mon. I’ll have the Ghost ready for take-off in the next hour,” Hera said confidently as she turned to start walking back to the hangar.

“Oh, and Hera?” Mon called back. “There is one other thing.”

Hera slowly stepped back into the room.

“The team on Jedha. It’s being led by Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso. The Jyn Erso known as Liana Hallick,” Mon paused. “I believe she served on your ship for quite some time before being captured by the Empire?”

Hera’s heart pounded with joy at the sound of those words. Jyn wasn’t just alive, she had joined the Rebellion in their fight against the Empire! Hera couldn't believe it!

“Yes, Mon, that’s correct,” Hera said affirmatively as she used every muscle in her body to contain her excitement.

“She wasn’t easy to persuade but she is going to be critical to this mission,” Mon continued to explain. “A few days ago, an Imperial pilot defected from the Empire at Galen Erso’s persuasion. Galen Erso, the lead Imperial scientist behind this major weapons operation. Apparently, he sent this pilot to Jedha to deliver a message to Saw Gerrera. A message about this secret weapon. Our hope is Jyn will be able authenticate the pilot’s message, find her father, and bring him back so he can testify before the Senate.”

Jyn was an incredibly strong person but Hera also knew how emotional she was. Confronting both Saw and her father might be the most difficult task she’d face in her entire life. But despite that fact, Hera still couldn’t believe that this was actually happening. Jyn had finally embraced her purpose in this fight and Hera couldn’t have been happier.

“I understand Mon. Any word on their status?” Hera asked, still trying to contain her excitement and sound professional.

“Last we heard they were in route to a research facility on Eadu where Galen Erso is stationed,” Mon said. “But that’s all I know as of now.”

“Well, I best be on my way Mon. I’ll report back here immediately once I return from Jedha,” Hera replied.

“Thank you, Hera. May the Force be with you,” she said as Hera departed. 


	15. Chapter 15

The Ghost landed outside the Rebel Base's main hangar bay on Yavin 4 and Hera was still coming to terms with what she saw on her reconnaissance mission to Jedha. While she couldn't prove if the Empire's weapon actually existed, the files she carried showed without a doubt that the moon had been devastated on a colossal scale by some means or another.

Hera sprinted down the Ghost's loading ramp before it was fully extended. She had to get this evidence to Mon Mothma, but she also couldn’t help but hope Jyn was somewhere on the base too. But just as Hera stepped inside the hangar, she heard "General Syndulla, please report to the briefing. General Syndulla, please report to the briefing" over the PA system.

Hera clenched her fists and shook her head, furious that she couldn't get just a minute to find Jyn. But reluctantly, she sprinted to Mon's office with the evidence of Jedha's destruction.

"These images are alarming to say the least Hera," Mon told Hera as she reviewed the data tapes from Hera's mission. "We can't completely prove that a major weapons system has been implemented, but this evidence, along with Jyn Erso's testimony, causes me to believe that this weapon exists without a doubt. You just missed the Council's briefing though, and quite frankly, a rather empowering speech from Jyn. There were a few supporters of the plan Jyn proposed, including Bail Organa and Admiral Raddus. But unfortunately, the Council opted against taking further action at this time."

"Wait, why would they stand down? We have to act on this now! We might not get another chance!” Hera demanded.

Mon proceeded to tell Hera everything about Jyn's mission. Jyn’s team had made it to Jedha and Saw had shown Jyn the message from her father about the weapon. She was however unable to extract the message after the Empire’s weapon, the Death Star, struck the planet and caused widespread damage.  And although Jyn was able to reach her father on Eadu, General Draven made the rash and unauthorized decision of sending a squadron in to terminate him.

"According to Jyn's testimony," Mon said in a low voice, "Galen Erso died on Eadu in Jyn's arms."

"I...I can't believe it," Hera said in shock. After all Jyn had lost throughout her life, after all this fight had taken away from her, the Rebellion had killed her father now.

"I wish there was something I could do Hera about obtaining those Death Star schematics from the Scarif Citadel but unfortunately, without the full support of the Council, my hands are tied," Mon said, clearly disturbed by all of these events.

"I understand Mon," Hera said reluctantly. She couldn't believe it. The Rebellion finally had a chance to act. To make their stand and actually make a devastating blow to the Empire. But they chose to stand down. To run. To hide.

Hera quickly realized though there was nothing more she could do here and she might not have much time to find Jyn. "I have to go Mon. I have some pressing matters to attend to."

"Of course, Hera," Mon nodded with a smile as she knew what Hera was referring to. And with that, Hera sprinted out of Mon's office to the main hanger in search of Jyn.


	16. Chapter 16

Hera finally reached the hangar and spotted Jyn, who had just finished speaking to Cassian Andor. It didn't take but a moment for Jyn to see Hera and they both immediately rushed across the main hangar floor and embraced one other.

“Jyn! I can’t believe you’re alive!" Hera said elated. "I went back to Jelucan but the city was wiped out. I tried to find out what happened to you but our Intelligence Group wouldn't tell me anything at the time. I didn't land but five minutes ago from my recon mission to Jedha."

“It's alright Hera," Jyn said softly with a smile, holding Hera’s hands as she tried to reassure her. "I'm just glad to see you again."

 _Something’s different about her,_  Hera thought to herself. Jyn had a different look in her eyes. One of determination. One of forgiveness. One of hope. But what had changed her? Was it their experience in the world between worlds? Her mission to Jedha and Eadu? Or a combination of it all?

"Jyn, I'm sorry I couldn't be there to stand by you during your briefing to the Council,” Hera apologized. “Mon told me everything. Your mission to Jedha and Eadu. Your father. The Death Star. All of it. Jyn, you sacrificed everything for us. For the Rebellion. I couldn't be prouder of you Jyn," she said with a smile. "And I know your plan to steal the Death Star plans is risky but I believe in you Jyn. I would've followed you to Scarif."

Jyn took a deep breath and lowered her eyes. "Well there's still a chance for you to," she said in a much more serious tone.

"What do you mean Jyn?" Hera searched Jyn’s eyes for an answer.

Jyn paused and took a quick glance around her to make sure no one was close enough to hear her. “I don't have much time to explain Hera, but me, Cassian, and his entire group are leaving for Scarif in that Imperial shuttle and we're getting those Death Star plans one way or another. I know the odds aren't exactly in our favor but we have to try Hera...”

“But Jyn, the Council…” Hera said with concern.

“Hera," Jyn replied as she gently grasped Hera's shoulders. "Getting these plans is bigger than me, bigger than you, bigger than this entire Rebellion. If we get those plans then we light that spark of hope that the galaxy so desperately needs right now. This is our chance to make a real difference.”

Hera’s suspicions were right. Jyn had changed. She was finally able to let go of her past and forgive her father. Forgive herself. She embraced her true purpose and found her determination to fulfill her potential and contribute to a greater cause. Even if it meant sacrificing her own life to do so.

"I'm fully behind you Jyn," Hera said with encouragement. "I know you don't have much time but let me speak to Admiral Raddus. From what Mon told me, he was fully supportive of your plan. I'll see if I can convince him to spare some of his ships. And you better believe I'll be at the front of the fleet supporting you."

"I knew I could count on you Hera," Jyn smiled, grasping Hera's hands.

But Jyn knew what she was up against. She wasn't ignorant to the fact that this plan, even with Hera and Raddus' help, was near impossible and it would most likely cost her life.

"Hera." Tears were forming in Jyn's eyes now. "This is a risky mission to say the least and...and I don't know if I'm going to make it back..."

"Jyn don't say things like that," Hera tried to reassure her. "I'll be above you the entire time. You will get those plans! I know you will!"

"Thanks Hera," Jyn said, trying her best to hold back tears. And then their conversation was interrupted by the sound of several ships taking off outside the hangar.

“Jyn, I have to go," Hera glanced at the ships. "The rest of the Alliance leaders are taking off back to their home worlds and I have to catch Raddus before he leaves. I know I said it before but I couldn't be prouder of you Jyn.” And they embraced one last time for a few long moments, tears streaking down both of their cheeks.

 Jyn slowly pulled away, realizing the urgency of her situation. "Like you said, we don’t have much time. I should get going,” Jyn said as she wiped away her tears.

But just as Jyn was about to turn away, Hera called back to her. “Jyn?"

"Yes, Hera?" Jyn asked.

"We will see each other again Jyn," Hera replied with a sense of hope in her voice. "I promise.”

“Goodbye Hera,” Jyn said softly with a smile. “And thank you. For everything.”


	17. Chapter 17

Jyn and her team (known as "Rogue One" now) had not only made it to the ground on Scarif, but she, along with Cassian and his faithful re-programmed Imperial security droid, K2-SO, had successfully infiltrated the Imperial Citadel on Scarif. With the help of their Imperial disguises and a few dozen rebels distracting the Empire in a chaotic firefight outside the base, they had reached the data vault where the Death Star plans were housed. 

"The Rebel Fleet has arrived," K2 announced from behind the security desk outside the vault.

"What?" Jyn couldn't believe what she was hearing. Hera had pulled through for her! She knew Hera wouldn't let her down!

"There's fighting on the beach, they've locked down the base, they've closed the shield gate," K2 continued in an emotionless voice. The entire planet of Scarif was encapsulated in an impenetrable shield of energy and the only way in or out was through the Empire's shield gate. Now that the shield gate was locked down, there would be no escape for the Rebels this time.

"What does that mean?" Jyn almost didn't want to know the answer. "We're trapped?"

Cassian gravely nodded, as if they had just received their death sentence.

"We could transmit the plans to the Rebel Fleet," K2 offered with some encouragement. "We'd have to get a signal out to tell them that it's coming. It's the size of the data files. That's the problem. They'll never get through. Someone has to take that shield gate down."

It was a near-impossible plan, but it would have to do. They had come too far to quit now.

"Bodhi. Bodhi, can you hear me?" Cassian frantically said into his comlink to their pilot who was guarding their ship for escape outside the base. "Bodhi, tell me you’re out there. Bodhi!"

"Hello, I’m here," they heard Bodhi's voice whisper. "We’re standing by. They’ve started fighting, the base is on lockdown!"

"I know, listen to me!" Cassian explained with urgency. "The rebel fleet is up there. You’ve got to tell them to blow a hole in the shield gate so we can transmit the plans."

"Wait, I can’t," Bodhi replied, obviously hesitant to proceed with Cassian's steep proposition. "I’m not hooked into the comm tower. We’re not tied in."

Cassian and Jyn couldn't accept no for an answer though. Not with the future of the Rebellion, and the galaxy, on the line. "It’s the only way we’re getting them out of here. Find a way!" 

Cassian gave Jyn an affirmative nod as he shut off his comlink and turned to the data vault.

This was Jyn's hour to prove to herself that she could put her past behind her and fulfill her potential for once in her life. It was a chance to carry on her father's legacy and keep the cause of the Rebellion alive. She would find a way to transmit those plans to the Rebel Fleet, even it meant sacrificing her life to do so.


	18. Chapter 18

Hera knew by the look in Jyn's eyes back at Yavin 4 that she wouldn't fail to steal those Death Star plans. But with Scarif's shield gate locked down and guarded by two Imperial Star Destroyers and dozens of Tie Fighters, extracting the Rogue One crew would be a near-impossible task. Taking down that gate was the Rebel Fleet's only shot of, at a minimum, enabling the Rogue One crew to transmit the plans to Admiral Raddus' flagship.

"Sabine," Hera ordered to her crewmate from the Ghost's cockpit. "I want you to lay down suppressing fire for that Hammerhead Corvette engaging that disabled Star Destroyer."

"I'm on it Hera," Sabine said in a calm voice from the nose-gunner's seat directly below the cockpit. Blaster fire sprayed out from the Ghost, turning Tie Fighters to scraps of burning metal.

Within a few moments, the Hammerhead Corvette slammed into the side of the disabled Star Destroyer and began slowly pushing it towards the other Star Destroyer positioned directly above the shield gate. By the time the Empire figured out what the Rebel Fleet was up to, it was too late. The disabled Star Destroyer wrecked through the side of the other Star Destroyer, essentially tearing it in half with its momentum. By either luck or will of the Force, what was left of the Star Destroyer crashed into the shield gate, causing the planetary shield to completely evaporate.

"Hera!" Sabine shouted in triumph from the nose gunner's seat. "The shield gate! They've taken it down!"

It didn't take but a moment for Admiral Raddus' ship to receive the Rogue One crew's transmission from the surface. "Admiral, we have the plans!" Hera heard a crew member from Raddus' flagship say through the Ghost's communication speakers.

Hera sank into the back of the pilot's seat in relief. After all the pain that Jyn had endured throughout her entire life, she had risen against all odds and finally fulfilled her purpose. Because of her hope and persistence, she had given the Rebellion the tools to finally make a devastating blow to the Empire. Hera couldn't have been prouder of Jyn.

The battle was still waging above the planet though and the Ghost's sensors unexpectedly began to go haywire. Hera tapped her finger against the screen with a puzzled look and the entire ship shook for a moment.

Hera peered through the top of the cockpit window in shock to see that the Rebel's moment of victory had been cut short. The Death Star, the Empire's weapon of mass destruction, had emerged out of hyperspace without warning and covered the planet in its shadow.

"Please tell me that's not the Death Star," Sabine said wide-eyed and in complete disbelief.

Hera had observed the devastating aftermath of this weapon first-hand but had yet to witness its destructive power in-person. Considering that it was comparable in size to the planet of Scarif itself, it was without saying that the Rebel Fleet was outmatched. The Rebellion had achieved victory in stealing the plans, but destroying the Death Star itself would have to come another day.

There would be only minutes before the Death Star began unleashing its terror on the Rebel Fleet, but Jyn and what was left of the Rogue One crew were still down on the planet. Hera knew the Ghost stood the best chance of extracting the team and making the jump to hyperspace without being intercepted by the Empire's ground or aerial forces. She would have to act quickly if she wanted to save the Rogue One crew and Jyn.

Hera flipped on the Ghost's communication switch. "Admiral Raddus. The Rogue One team is still on the planet's surface. I'm taking the Ghost down to extract them."

"Negative, General Syndulla," Raddus replied in a firm voice from his ship. "It's too risky. We have the plans. You need to evacuate now."

Before Hera could protest, a mesmerizing green beam of energy shot out from the Death Star's massive laser disk and struck the surface of Scarif in a terrifying fashion.

"Jyn!" Hera screamed in horror, jumping out of her seat. Despite being thousands of kilometers from Jyn, Hera instinctively reached out, just as Jyn had reached out to save her life in the World Between Worlds.

A mushroom cloud of fire and ash quickly consumed hundreds of square kilometers of the Scarif landscape by the second. Hera slammed her fist into the cockpit's dashboard and tears began to form in her eyes as she slowly began to understand that there would be no saving Jyn this time. She and the rest of the Rogue One crew were truly gone now. 

"All ships, prepare for jump to hyperspace," Hera heard Raddus say over the communications channel. But Hera was still paralyzed mentally and emotionally, trying to come to terms with what she had just lost.

Sabine sprinted up to the cockpit. "Hera, we have to go! Now!" 

The Rebel Fleet was about to make their jump to hyperspace, but their path of escape was unexpectedly blocked by another massive Star Destroyer emerging out of hyperspace. The Star Destroyer quickly tore through one of the Rebellion's medical frigates and began aggressively targeting Raddus' ship. The only ship that had received the Death Star plan transmissions.

"Hera, Raddus gave us a direct order!" Sabine shouted as she shook Hera's shoulder, trying to bring her back to reality. "We have to leave!"

This wasn't the first time Hera had suffered this kind of trauma. She had taken this plunge into emotional free fall when she lost Kanan. That loss had consumed every ounce of her being, almost to the point of no return. But she knew in her heart that she had grown beyond who she was when that happened. She was not about to let her emotions get the best of her in this moment. Not with so much on the line. There would be another time for grieving and she knew that Jyn would want her to see the rest of the mission through by getting the Death Star plans back to Yavin 4. Enough blood had been spilled this day, and Hera was determined not to let Jyn's sacrifice fade away in vain. 

The brain fog suddenly lifted from Hera's mind and she noticed that the Empire had reopened the Rebel Fleet's path of escape through their aggressive attempt to disable Raddus' ship. "Strap yourself in Sabine," she said in a much more confident voice.

Hera flipped the Ghost's communication switch. "All ships, we have an opening. Make the jump, now!" One-by-one, the ships of the Rebel Fleet bolted into hyperspace, but Hera held the Ghost back.

"Hera! What are you waiting for?!" Sabine shouted.

Hera's attention was completely fixed on Raddus' disabled ship. The Empire had sent a shuttle to board the ship and most likely attempt to retrieve the stolen plans, but Hera knew there was one more chance for those plans to escape with them. And sure enough, after a few moments of waiting, Hera was relieved to see the Rebel Blockade Runner fall from the Raddus' docking bay and make the jump to hyperspace.

"Now!" Hera shouted. And with a flip of a switch, the Ghost was immersed in a sea of blue trailing stars, hurling itself back to Yavin 4.


	19. Chapter 19

Jyn collapsed next to Cassian on the beach outside the Imperial Citadel. They had seen the Death Star blast strike the surface of Scarif a few kilometers to the south and an overwhelming cloud of fire and ash was quickly approaching them. An untold amount of blood had been spilt that day and they would be the last of the Rogue One crew to lay down their lives for this cause.

"Your father would be proud, Jyn," Cassian said sincerely.

Jyn was badly wounded and didn't have the energy to reply. She managed to give Cassian a smile though and gently grasp his hand in gratitude and encouragement. The Empire would certainly claim their lives in a few moments, but Jyn and Cassian held their heads high knowing that they had given every ounce of themselves to this cause. They had enabled the Rebellion a chance to fight another day and restored hope to the galaxy.

 _I know I haven't always lived up to what I could be_ , Jyn thought to herself.  _But I really did try my best Hera. And I hope you can remember me as the girl who found redemption and tried to make things right in the end._

The aftermath of the blast was so close now that the heat stung Jyn’s cheeks. She and Cassian embraced, comforting each other in their last moments.

 _You did it_ _Jyn_ , she thought as tears began to freely streak down her cheeks.  _You_ _put your past behind you and finally achieved your purpose in life. You could've turned back, but you didn’t. You kept going. And because you did, your legacy will live on in others. And the galaxy will become a better place because of what you did here today._

Jyn's eyes were then filled with white light, and for the first time in her life, she was at peace. 


	20. Chapter 20

A warm breeze swept across Yavin 4 as Hera stood outside the Rebel Base, watching the sun rise. A couple days had passed since the Rebel's victory at Scarif, but word had just been received that Princess Leia was finally on her way to the base with the Death Star plans in hand. If the information proved to be reliable, it wouldn't take long for the Rebellion to mount a full-scale attack on the Death Star in an attempt to dissolve the Empire's reign over the galaxy once and for all. 

Although time was always a precious commodity, Mon Mothma had made a point to give a eulogy for Jyn and the rest of the Rogue One crew. The Rebellion wouldn't have gotten this far had it not been for their sacrifice and their mission would forever go down as the most pivotal in the Rebellion's history. 

The members of the Rebellion were either diligently tending to their duties or attempting to get some form of rest before the final battle. Hera had refueled and finished the minor repairs to the Ghost, so for once, she had a moment to stop and collect her thoughts. A chance for the weight of Jyn's death to really set in. 

A year ago, the loss of Jyn would've completely consumed Hera's emotions and compromised her ability to carry on this fight. But as she promised to herself at Scarif, she would be stronger this time. Stronger for her crew. Stronger for the Rebellion. And stronger for Jyn. With every battle that Hera fought from her on out, she wouldn't just be fighting for the Rebellion. She'd also be fighting to continue Jyn's legacy. 

Hera took a knee and delicately placed her family's kalikori on a low table outside of the base. As was Rylothian tradition, the kalikori had been handed down for generations and each of the small pieces that dangled from both sides of this precious artifact represented members of her family, both those who were living and those who had passed on. The last piece was added a year ago for Kanan. Hera couldn't bring herself to add a piece for Ezra just yet. She still held out hope that he was alive, somewhere in the galaxy. 

Another piece however would be added to Hera's kalikori today. Hera took out a talisman in the shape of Jyn's kyber crystal and carefully fixed it just below Kanan's. She took a deep breath.

"Jyn, I don't know if you can hear me, but I just want you to know that I couldn't be prouder of you. When I first met you, you were worn down and broken. You had lost all hope and you wanted to give up on yourself. But you were finally able to put your past behind you and move forward. You restored your hope and inspired others to do the same. And because of your determination and courage, you gave us a chance to finally defeat evil and usher in peace to the galaxy. The Rebellion, and the galaxy, will forever be indebted to you for your sacrifice." 

Hera wiped a tear from her eye and picked up the kalikori. The sun was continuing to rise above Yavin 4's endless forest, and a ship, most likely carrying Princess Leia, was approaching in the distance. Although Hera's time to grieve for Jyn was coming to an end, Hera would make sure that Jyn's legacy lived on through her. 

"I promise, I will never forget what you did for us, Jyn Erso. And what you did for me."


End file.
